Combination of a non-thermal plasma and a catalyst for toluene removal from air: Manganese based oxide catalysts

A series of manganese based catalysts have been tested in a combined plasma-catalyst reactor in the reaction of toluene removal from air. In the standard conditions (toluene = 240 ppm, energy density = 172 J/L, 1 g of catalyst, 315 mL/min), the best catalyst (manganese oxide supported on active carbon) is able to transform 55% of the toluene into carbon oxides. According to the study of the reaction mechanism, it appears that the toluene is oxidized both in-plasma by short-lived species generated by plasma and in post-plasma on the catalyst surface by the ozone formed in the plasma, the reaction on the catalyst being more selective in carbon dioxide formation than the reaction in plasma. We have shown that the toluene conversion increases when the toluene concentration in air decreases. A model able to describe the behavior of the plasma reactor and the plasma-catalyst reactor is proposed.